The Seoul YMCA, a civic organization, has requested that the Korea Fair Trade Commission investigate Apple for false advertising regarding the iPhone 16’s AI features.
On Monday, Seoul YMCA issued a statement announcing that they had asked the Fair Trade Commission to investigate Apple for violating the “Act on Fair Display and Advertising” and urged criminal prosecution.
It’s worth noting that only the Fair Trade Commission can file criminal charges for violations of the Display and Advertising Law. This action follows the Seoul YMCA’s previous demand on March 13 for consumer compensation measures against Apple’s false and exaggerated advertising of the iPhone 16.
The organization condemned Apple for misleadingly promoting the AI feature Apple Intelligence Siri as a main function of the iPhone 16 series, despite its essentially impossible availability. This false advertising allegedly led many consumers to purchase the device under false pretenses.
Recently, Apple postponed the release of the on-device AI Siri feature, which was supposed to be included in this year’s iOS 18 update, to sometime after 2026. A spokesperson from the Seoul YMCA’s Civic Monitoring Office stated, “Under the Display and Advertising Law, those who engage in unfair display or advertising can face up to two years in prison or fines of up to 150 million KRW (approximately $102,000).
There is also a joint penal provision allowing corporations to be fined.” The organization will closely monitor the investigation process and results and take appropriate follow-up actions. It also plans to continue tracking businesses that potentially harm consumers by violating the Display and Advertising Law.